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Investigating the Effects of Beef Consumption on Cognitive and Brain Health

This study is looking at whether eating different amounts of beef affects your brain and thinking skills. Researchers want to see if eating more beef leads to better scores on memory and thinking tests, and better overall brain function. You would be given ready-to-eat beef in frozen packages for 12 weeks. Some participants will eat 25 ounces of beef per week (experimental group), while others will eat 5 ounces per week (control group). This study is for young adults aged 19-24 who live near Lincoln, NE, and have a BMI between 18.5 and 39. The study is currently unclear on its recruitment status.

Study design
This is an interventional study with a planned enrollment of 240 participants. It compares two groups receiving different amounts of ready-to-eat beef.
What's involved
You would participate in a 12-week dietary intervention, consuming ready-to-eat beef weekly. You would also complete cognitive tests at the beginning and end of the study.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your cognitive abilities will be measured at the start of the study and again after 12 weeks.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06690892

Investigating the Effects of Beef Consumption on Cognitive and Brain Health

Recruiting
NAAges 19–24InterventionalBasic science
University of Nebraska Lincoln
~240 participants
Updated 2026-05-29 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Ready-to-eat beef in frozen, 5-oz packagesReady-to-eat beef in frozen, 1-oz packages

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
WAIS-V
Measured over Baseline and after 12 weeks
+8 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Dietary Intervention
Dietary Proteins
Dietary Assessment
Cognitive Ability, General

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Brain DeathCognitive Ability

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Nebraska1

Study leadership

  • Aron Barbey, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Nebraska Lincoln

Who to contact

Douglas Schultz, PhD
[email protected]
402-472-1843
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study
Males and females; Age 19-24
Willingness to adhere to the ready-to-eat beef intervention regimen
Lives within 75 miles of Lincoln, NE
BMI between 18.5 and 39.9
Not pregnant or nursing
No history of cognitive or metabolic diseases indicated by diagnosis, including neurodegenerative disease, stroke, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and cancer
No history of eating or anxiety disorders
Willing to discontinue dietary supplement use throughout the duration of the study, if they are consuming supplement at the time of the registration
No known contraindication to MRI scans as determined by the MRI screening survey questions

Exclusion

Current use of medications that may affect their responses to dietary intervention, such as amphetamines, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, laxatives, antibiotics, statins and diuretics.
Known intolerance or allergy to beef
Current use of nicotine products, including vaping
Previous use of nicotine products, including vaping, within the recent 6 months at the time of pre-screening

What this trial measures

  • WAIS-VBaseline and after 12 weeks

    Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, verison 5. Comprehensive assessment battery for measuring cognitive abilities

  • NIH Toolbox (Dimensional Change Card Sort)Baseline and after 12 weeks

    Test for executive function and cognitive flexibility

  • NIH Toolbox (Flanker)Baseline and after 12 weeks

    test for executive functions: attention and inhibitory control

  • NIH Toolbox (List Sorting Working Memory Test)Baseline and after 12 weeks

    Test for working memory

  • Cognitive Reflection TestBaseline and after 12 weeks

    Test to measure the ability to suppress an intuitive wrong answer in favor of a more reflective correct answer

  • Short Form-36 Health SurveyBaseline and after 12 weeks

    self-report measure of health status and quality of life

  • Decision Outcome InventoryBaseline and after 12 weeks

    an assessment of outcomes of real-life decisions

  • Pittsburgh Sleep Quality IndexBaseline and after 12 weeks

    Self-report assessment of sleep quality over the past month. The survey includes measures related to Sleep Latency, Sleep Duration, Sleep Efficiency, Sleep Disturbances, Use of Sleep Medications, Daytime Fatigue, and Sleep Quality

  • Symptom Checklist 90-RevisedBaseline and after 12 weeks

    self-report assessment of psychological symptoms related to the domains of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism